[ExpressIndia] Centre for anti-ragging panel in educational institutions

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EYE ON RAGGING: THE COMMITTEE WILL BE VISITING ALL MAJOR METROS IN THE COUNTRY BUT THE INSTITUTIONS TO BE VISITED WILL BE FIXED BY THE RESPECTIVE STATE GOVERNMENTS

Express News Service

Kolkata, February 6: The Anti-Ragging Committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development under an act passed by the Supreme Court on November 27, 2006, has suggested that different universities, colleges and educational institutions form an anti-ragging committee that should not only have students’ representatives but should also be amply represented by guardians, parents and teachers.

The committee, chaired by R K Raghavan, former director of CBI, visited Jadavpur University and met the students and teachers today. Then the committee had an extended conference with representatives from different colleges and universities at Bikash Bhavan.

The committee also recommended that the various educational institutions should take the initiative to encourage an amicable relationship between freshers and seniors.

However, referring to a positive change, chairman Raghavan said, “In the last 20 years incidents of ragging has reduced to a great extent. This is because the authorities in the educational institutions have been taking extensive anti-ragging measures.”

The committee will be visiting all major metros in the country but the institutions to be visited will be fixed by the respective state governments. A cumulative report prepared by the committee on the basis of all the meetings and discussions in the cities will be submitted before the apex court in April. Yesterday the committee had visited Guwahati in Assam.

Earlier in the day, the committee held discussions with students and teachers at the Jadavpur University campus. When the committee members asked the students about any recent incidents of ragging, the students were fast to answer that no such incidents happen in either the JU campus or in the hostel.

On why was JU chosen as the preferred university for the visit, Raghavan said, “Jadavpur University is a prestigious and acclaimed institution and it does have a history of severe ragging. But now this place is a model of peace and harmonious relation that has developed between students and teachers. All institutions should take example from this place.”

The other members in the committee are Sanjay Govind Dhande, director of IIT Kanpur, A K Agarwal, Dean of Maulana Azad Medical College, Dr Rajendra Prasad, principal of Ramjas College, Chandra Krishnamurthy, vice chancellor of SNDT Women’s University (Mumbai), A Sathikh, former vice-chancellor, Madras University, and Sunil Kumar, joint secretary of the Union education department.

The committee has been constituted to formulate means and methods to prevent ragging. It aims at suggesting possible actions that can be taken against persons, or even the college and university authorities for ragging. It will consider all aspects relating to the conduct of students indulged in ragging which also might affect the atmosphere in educational institutions.

Among those present at the meeting at Bikash Bhavan were Nikhil Ranjan Banerjea, VC, Shibpur BE College, and Father P C Mathew, principal of St Xaviers’ College.